MANUAL 


FOR 


MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


AMERICAN  BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS 
FOR  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


AMERICAN  BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS 
FOR  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 


MANUAL 

FOR 

MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 

AND  FOR  APPOINTED  MISSIONARIES 
BEFORE  ENTERING  THEIR  FIELDS 


Revised  Edilion,  igi6 


CONGREGATIONAL  HOUSE 

BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/manualformissionOOamer_0 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Classes  of  Missionaries . 6 

Need  of  Candidates . 7 

Qualifications . 8 

Ordained  Missionaries 
Educational  Missionaries 
Medical  Missionaries 
Missionary  Nurses 
Women  Teachers 

Life  Appointment  and  Term  Service . 1 1 

When  to  Apply . 12 

How  to  Apply . 13 

Preparation  of  Papers . 14 

Explanation  of  Papers . 17 

Papers  of  Wives  and  Fiancees . ^9 

Papers  of  Single  Women . 20 

Action  by  the  Board . 20 

Correspondence  after  Designation . 21 

Training  Conference  for  New  Missionaries .  ...  22 

Commissioning  Service . 22 

Salaries . 23 

Outfits . 24 

Debts . 25 

Passport . 26 

Life  Memoranda . 26 

Reading  Courses . 26 

Ecclesiastical  Relations . 27 

Extracts  from  the  By-Laws  of  the  Board  ....  28 

Extracts  from  the  Rules  of  the  Board . 28 

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MANUAL  FOR  MISSIONARY 
CANDIDATES 


Candidates  for  missionary  appointment  often  wish  to 
know  early  in  their  course  the  Board’s  point  of  view  as  to 
qualifications  for  service  abroad  and  also  the  steps  which 
are  necessary  in  making  application.  It  is  important  for 
them  to  learn  as  soon  as  possible  what  the  Board  expects 
and  what  will  be  their  relationships  to  the  Board.  When 
their  studies  are  complete,  or  practically  so,  they  need 
definite  instructions  as  to  the  preparation  of  their  papers 
and  the  subsequent  steps  to  be  taken,  should  they  receive 
the  appointment  of  the  Board.  It  is  sought  in  this  Man¬ 
ual  to  meet  both  of  these  needs.  It  covers  a  wide  range  in 
order  to  answer  as  many  as  possible  of  the  questions  which 
rise  in  the  minds  of  candidates  between  the  time  of  vol¬ 
unteering  and  the  time  of  offering  their  services  to  the 
Board. 

It  will  be  presumed  that  candidates  have  made  them¬ 
selves  acquainted  with  the  contents  of  these  pages,  and 
that  nothing  need  be  repeated  to  them  which  is  herein  con¬ 
tained. 

MISSIONS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  BOARD 

The  M  issions  of  the  Board  are : 

South  Africa  Mission  (Zulu  Branch;  Rhodesia  Branch) 

West  Central  Africa  Mission 

Balkan  Mission 

Western  Turkey  Mis.sion 

Central  Turkey  Mission 


6 


MANUAL 


Eastern  Turkey  Mission 
Marathi  Mission  (India) 

Madura  Mission  (India) 

Ceylon  Mission 
Foochow  Mission  (China) 

South  China  Mission 

North  China  Mission,  including  Shansi 

Japan  Mission 

Micronesia  Mission 

Mission  to  the  Philippines 

Mission  to  Spain 

Mission  to  Austria 

Mexico  Mission 

These  fields  offer  great  variety  in  climate,  population, 
government,  religion  and  social  environment.  Candidates 
will  do  well  not  to  commit  themselves  as  to  their  field 
without  careful  study  and  consultation  with  the  officers  of 
the  Board.  It  is  unwi.se  to  settle  this  momentous  question 
through  hearing  a  single  missionary  address  or  reading  a 
single  biography,  or  through  becoming  acquainted  with 
natives  of  certain  countries.  The  better  way  is  to  leave 
the  question  of  field  open  until  one’s  general  education  is 
complete.  We  particularly  appreciate  candidates  who 
take  into  consideration  the  needs  and  opportunities  of  the 
Board,  as  well  as  personal  preference,  in  deciding  upon 
country  and  mission. 


CLASSES  OF  MISSIONARIES 

The  development  of  missionary  work  in  modem  times 
has  brought  about  a  considerable  degree  of  specialization. 
While  the  main  purpose  of  all  workers  is  identical,  viz.,  the 
establishment  of  Christ’s  Kingdom  throughout  the  world, 
certain  well-defined  lines  of  work  have  emerged  for  which 
special  training  is  requisite,  and  which  result  in  differen- 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


7 


tiation  of  service  upon  the  field.  For  convenience  we 
classify  our  missionaries  as  follows; 

Ordained  missionaries 
Educational  missionaries 
Medical  missionaries 
Missionary  nurses 
Industrial  missionaries 
Business  agents 
Single  women  missionaries 
Wives  of  missionaries 

The  above  order  is  purely  for  convenience,  and  is  not 
intended  to  indicate  relative  importance.  Several  of 
these  classes  may  also  be  sub-divided.  For  instance, 
educational  missionaries  include  professors  in  colleges  and 
theological  seminaries,  heads  of  high  schools  and  normal 
schools,  also  directors  of  systems  of  elementary  schools. 
The  highly  important  class  designated  “Single  women 
missionaries”  overlaps  somewhat  certain  other  classes,  but 
it  is  convenient  to  treat  it  separately,  since  most  of  these 
workers  are  related  not  only  to  the  American  Board  but  to 
one  of  the  Woman’s  Boards.  This  class  includes  not  only 
general  teachers  in  all  grades,  but  kindergartners,  domestic 
science  teachers,  music  teachers,  evangelistic  workers,  as 
well  as  physicians  and  nurses. 


NEED  OF  CANDIDATES 

Except  in  some  of  the  more  restricted  lines,  such  as 
business  agents,  architects,  music  teachers,  the  need  is 
never  supplied.  Through  the  dropping  out  of  mission¬ 
aries  by  retirement  and  death  and  the  steady  expansion  of 
the  work,  the  supply  of  recruits  never  overtakes  the  de¬ 
mand.  Usually  the  Board  is  looking  for  a  dozen  or  fifteen 
ordained  men,  about  as  many  physicians,  and  not  less 


8 


MANUAL 


than  thirty  unmarried  women.  The  number  of  new  mis¬ 
sionaries  sent  out  each  year  varies  from  about  fifty  to 
seventy-five.  Thus  far  the  Board  has  not  been  compelled 
to  hold  back  candidates  for  financial  reasons.  Although 
the  lack  of  funds  is  often  keenly  felt,  it  has  been  possible 
to  send  all  properly  qualified  candidates  to  the  field  with¬ 
out  delay. 


QUALIFICATIONS 

It  is  not  as  necessary  as  formerly  for  each  Board  to  ex¬ 
plain  in  detail  its  standards  for  missionary  appointment, 
since  the  leading  societies  unite  in  sustaining  the  Board  of 
Missionary  Preparation,  whose  publications  represent  the 
consensus  of  best  opinion.  We  would  call  the  attention  of 
our  candidates  to  the  special  report  written  by  President 
MacKenzie  upon  the  general  qualifications  for  missionary 
service  (5c.);  to  the  Third  Annual  Report  of  the  Board 
of  Missionary  Preparation  upon  the  specific  qualifications 
for  ordained,  educational,  medical  and  women  missionaries 
(25c.);  to  the  Fourth  Annual  Report  upon  qualifications  for 
certain  countries,  China,  India,  Japan,  The  Near  East,  I-atin 
America,  Pagan  Africa  (50c.);  and  to  the  forth-coming  report 
upon  qualifications  as  related  to  the  non-Christian  religions. 
We  assume  that  candidates  have  familiarized  themselves 
with  so  much  of  this  literature  as  applies  to  their  own  cases. 
These  reports  should  be  consulted  as  early  as  possible  in 
one’s  course  of  preparation.* 

It  perhaps  should  be  added  that  the  American  Board 
regards  the  standards  of  personality,  training  and  char¬ 
acter,  presented  in  the  above  mentioned  reports,  not  merely 
as  an  ideal  to  be  sought  after,  but  as  something  actually 

*  The  address  of  the  Board  of  Missionary  Preparation  is  as  Madison 
Avenue,  New  York  City,  the  director  being  Rev.  Frank  K.  Sanders, 
D.D. 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


9 


to  be  attained.  The  qualifications  of  certain  classes  of 
missionaries  call  for  special  mention. 

Ordained  Missionaries. — Ordained  missionaries  need 
the  highest  training  in  their  line.  As  the  interpreters  of 
Christian  truth,  the  builders  of  the  native  church,  the 
trainers  of  the  native  pastors,  the  leaders  in  evangelistic 
activities,  the  makers  of  vernacular  literature,  often  also 
as  the  heads  of  educational  institutions,  their  efforts  bear 
directly  upon  the  main  purposes  of  the  Board.  By  per¬ 
sonality  and  training  they  must  be  prepared  for  the  most 
exacting  kind  of  leadership.  To  a  considerable  extent 
this  applies  also  to  women  missionaries  engaged  in  evan¬ 
gelistic  or  Bible  work. 

On  the  intellectual  side  this  demands  that  they  should  be 
graduates  of  college  and  theological  seminary  and  that  in 
these  institutions  they  should  give  evidence  of  true  spirit¬ 
uality  and  demonstrate  their  capacity  for  leadership. 
Increasingly  ministerial  candidates  are  inclined  to  take  a 
year  of  post  graduate  work,  that  they  may  pursue  special 
studies  and  activities  bearing  upon  foreign  missions. 

Educational  Missionaries. — The  Board  considers  it 
highly  desirable,  if  not  necessary,  for  its  educators,  men 
and  women,  who  are  life  appointees,  to  take  a  course  in 
some  divinity  school,  or  its  equivalent.  This  course  need 
not  be  that  for  ordained  men,  but  it  should  include  Bible 
study,  apologetics.  Church  history,  and  such  other 
branches  as  are  essential  to  an  understanding  of  the  sys¬ 
tem  of  Christian  truth  and  practice.  In  no  other  way 
can  educators  answer  the  religious  questions  which  are 
always  arising  in  their  classes,  and  meet  the  spiritual  needs 
of  the  people.  We  do  not  separate  education  and  evangel¬ 
ization,  but  seek  to  co-ordinate  these  as  closely  as  possible. 
It  is  often  allowable  for  such  a  worker  to  combine  a  course 
in  theology  with  courses  in  the  theory  and  practice  of  edii 


10 


MANUAL 


cation.  It  is  not  necessary  for  educators  to  become  or¬ 
dained,  although  such  a  step  often  adds  to  their  usefulness* 
and  prestige  on  the  field. 

Medical  Missionaries. — The  practice  of  medicine  is 
now  a  highly  specialized  calling  on  the  foreign  field  as  at 
home.  The  medical  missionary  is  usually  in  charge  of  a 
hospital  and  is  often  obliged  to  cover  a  wide  area  for  vis¬ 
itation  work.  As  a  rule,  he  has  little  time  for  sermons 
or  religious  addresses.  All  the  more  is  it  necessary  that 
the  physician  should  be  distinctly  missionary  in  his  motive. 
Few  workers  have  more  opportunities  for  exerting  a  favor¬ 
able  influence  upon  individuals  or  for  the  breaking  down  of 
the  prejudices  of  multitudes. 

On  the  medical  side  the  work  of  the  missionary  doctor 
is  most  exacting,  since  he  often  covers  the  entire  range  of 
medicine  and  surgery  and  works  without  consultation. 
The  Board  requires  the  very  best  of  training  for  its  medical 
missionaries.  They  should  take,  if  possible,  a  full  collegiate 
course,  and  should  choose  a  medical  school  of  the  first 
rank,  one  rated  "A”  by  the  American  Medical  Association. 
The  institution  should  be  of  the  ‘‘regular  school.”  The 
medical  course  should  be  followed  by  an  interneship  in  a 
large  hospital,  or  by  its  equivalent  in  actual  practice. 
Certain  lines  of  postgraduate  study  are  strongly  advised, 
such  as  general  surgery,  obstetrics,  the  treatment  of  the 
eye,  and  tropical  diseases.  In  some  cases  the  Board 
makes  it  possible  for  accepted  medical  candidates  to  take  a 
postgraduate  course  in  tropical  medicine,  either  at  the 
Harvard  Medical  School  or  in  London.  When  it  is  found 
to  be  necessary,  the  Board  votes  the  medical  appointee  a 
special  grant  for  equipment. 

Missionary  Nurses. — Those  who  plan  to  take  up 
nursing  should  bear  in  mind  that  the  missionary  nurse  is 
usually  superintendent  of  a  hospital,  and  also  the  trainer  of 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


II 


native  nurses.  The  position  calls  for  qualities  of  leader¬ 
ship  as  well  as  knowledge  of  professional  nursing.  The 
question  of  personality  must  first  be  considered,  and  then 
that  of  adequate  training,  it  being  assumed  that  consecra¬ 
tion  is  not  lacking.  The  nurse  should  have  at  least  a  high 
school  course;  she  must  be  a  graduate  of  a  high  grade 
training  school  for  nurses  and  have  experienced  a  wide 
variety  of  practice  in  a  hospital.  She  should  be  especially 
skillful  in  the  operating  room. 

Women  Teachers. — Most  of  our  single  women  teach¬ 
ers  are  college  graduates,  but  the  Board  accepts  a  good 
normal  school  course  as  an  equivalent.  In  either  case 
the  candidate  must  have  an  actual  teaching  experience  of 
one  or  two  years,  in  which  she  has  demonstrated  her  ability. 
She  must  be  apt  to  teach  and  also  strong  in  organization 
and  discipline.  The  missionary  teacher  is  the  head  of  a 
school  or  in  the  line  of  succession,  and  she  will  ordinarily 
have  under  her  a  number  of  native  teachers.  So  here 
again  leadership  is  a  prime  consideration. 

LIFE  APPOINTMENT  AND  TERM  SERVICE 

What  has  been  said  as  to  qualifications  relates  primarily 
to  those  who  plan  to  fit  themselves  for  foreign  missions  as  a 
career,  in  the  expectation  that,  God  making  it  possible, 
they  will  spend  their  lives  in  this  service.  In  recent  years 
there  has  been  such  a  rapid  development  of  our  colleges, 
especially  those  where  English  is  used  in  the  classes,  that 
the  Board  sends  out  each  year  a  certain  number  of  in¬ 
structors  for  a  term  of  three  or  five  years.  Full  missionary 
training  is  not  expected  of  these  term  appointees.  Usually 
they  go  out  immediately  after  graduating  from  college, 
expecting  to  take  their  professional  training  upon  their 
return  to  the  home  land.  It  is,  of  course,  expected  that 


12 


MANUAL 


they  will  give  promise  of  efficiency  as  teachers  and  be 
earnestly  Christian.  Their  work  is  teaching  the  English 
language,  science,  history,  and  other  branches  as  the  need 
may  be.  They  are  expected  to  interest  themselves  in  the 
religious  and  social  welfare  of  the  students,  and,  if  they  are 
skilled  in  athletics,  they  will  find  a  large  opportunity  in 
that  line.  They  are  not  expected  to  learn  the  vernacular, 
and  they  are  not  voting  members  of  the  Mission.  The 
Board  is  gratified  to  find  how  many  of  these  term  men  be¬ 
come  attracted  to  the  work  and  return  to  fit  themselves 
for  a  missionary  career.  The  character  cff  the  work  of  the 
Woman’s  Boards  is  such  that  ordinarily  they  cannot  use 
term  service  workers,  but  occasionally  there  is  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  for  temporary  service,  pending  the  securing  of  a 
regular  missionary. 

WHEN  TO  APPLY 

The  Board  desires  to  become  acquainted  with  candidates 
as  early  as  possible,  so  that  they  may  not  come  to  us  as 
strangers.  A  friendly  relationship  running  through 
several  years  furnishes  the  best  possible  ground  for  reaching 
a  decision  as  to  service  and  field.  Speaking  generally, 
a  candidate  should  make  formal  application  after  his  train¬ 
ing  iscompleted  and  thecourseof  practical  experience  which 
he  has  laid  out  for  himself  is  drawing  to  a  close.  Specifi¬ 
cally,  physicians  should  apply  toward  the  close  of  their  in- 
terneship;  nurses,  .soon  after  graduation;  teachers,  after 
they  have  demonstrated  their  success  in  actual  school  work. 
With  ordained  men  it  is  somewhat  different,  as  their  intel¬ 
lectual  training  and  practical  experience  run  along  together. 
As  a  rule,  it  is  best  for  a  theological  student  to  establish  his 
status  with  the  Board  during  his  middle  year,  in  order  that 
he  may  turn  the  last  part  of  his  course  in  the  direction  of 
special  studies. 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES  13 

Looking  at  the  matter  from  a  different  angle,  it  is  de¬ 
sirable  that  the  candidate  should  secure  his  appointment 
from  eight  months  to  a  year  before  the  time  of  sailing. 
Since  the  Training  Conference  for  new  missionaries  is  held 
yearly,  early  in  June,  and  the  best  time  for  sailing,  as  a 
rule,  is  mid-summer,  the  appropriate  time  to  apply  for 
appointment  is  in  the  preceding  fall.  If,  however,  cir¬ 
cumstances  have  prevented  an  early  decision,  the  candi¬ 
date  should  not  hold  back,  but  should  file  his  application 
as  soon  as  possible. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  it  ordinarily  requires  a 
month  and  a  half  for  the  preparation  of  papers  and  the 
securing  of  the  action  of  the  Prudential  Committee.  In  the 
case  of  missionaries  going  out  under  one  of  the  Woman's 
Boards  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  action  of  two  boards  is 
essential,  two  and  a  half  months  should  be  allowed. 

HOW  TO  APPLY 

Many  of  our  applicants  are  well  known  to  the  secretaries 
of  the  Home  Department  when  they  formally  offer  their 
services.  Where  such  a  relationship  has  not  been  estab¬ 
lished,  it  is  necessary  to  have  considerable  preliminary 
correspondence  before  an  offer  of  service  is  formally  enter¬ 
tained.  A  blank  form  calling  for  "Preliminary  Informa¬ 
tion’’  is  used  in  the  early  stages  of  correspondence,  and 
this  often  leads  to  a  gathering  of  testimonials  from  one’s 
friends,  which  can  be  used  later  on,  if  a  formal  application 
is  entertained.  At  every  stage  in  the  gathering  of  papers 
the  officers  of  the  Board  seek  to  deal  with  the  candidate 
with  Christian  sympathy  and  entire  frankness,  in  the 
realization  of  the  fact  that  the  interests  of  the  candidate 
and  of  the  Board  are  identical.  Where  each  party  seeks 
earnestly  to  know  the  divine  will,  the  outcome  should  not 
be  doubtful. 


14 


MANUAL 


PREPARATION  OF  PAPERS 

For  convenience,  we  divide  the  making  out  of  papers  into 
four  steps,  as  follows: 

I.  Offer  of  Service 

II.  Life  Sketch 

III.  Motive  and  Message 

IV.  Relation  to  the  Board 

When  a  formal  application  is  entertained,  blank  forms 
are  sent  to  the  candidate  which,  for  the  most  part,  are 
self-explanatory.  In  order  that  the  process  may  be  made 
clear  from  the  beginning,  we  print  below  a  copy  of  these 
forms,  omitting  spaces  for  written  answers. 

AMERICAN  BOARD  OF  COMMISSIONERS  FOR  FOREIGN 

MISSIONS 

Congregational  House,  14  Beacon  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 

HOME  DEPARTMENT 
Application  for  Missionary  Appointment 

1.  Offer  of  Service 

1.  I  hereby  offer  my  services  to  the  American  Board  of 
Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  for  missionary  work 
abroad. 

2.  State  if  you  desire  life  appointment  or  service  for  a 
term  of  years.  If  the  latter,  state  the  number  of  years. 

3.  State  the  nature  of  the  service  which  you  anticipate, 
whether  that  of  an  ordained  minister,  physician,  nurse, 
educator,  industrial  worker,  business  agent,  wife  of  a 
missionary,  etc.  (If  educator,  state  what  branches  you 
are  qualified  to  teach.) 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


15 


4.  State  when  you  expect  to  be  ready  to  sail. 

5.  Are  you  married  or  single?  If  the  former  give  full 
name  of  wife,  with  age,  and  names  and  ages  of  children,  if 
any.  If  the  latter,  state  if  you  are  engaged  to  be  married, 
with  full  name  and  address  of  party. 

6.  Are  you  in  debt  financially?  If  so,  state  the  amount 
of  your  debt  and  the  manner  in  which  you  are  carrying  it. 

7.  Are  any  near  relatives  to  such  a  degree  dependent 
upon  you,  or  likely  to  become  so,  that  you  are  under  obliga¬ 
tion  to  make  provision  for  their  support? 

8.  Enclose  a  recent  photograph  of  yourself,  preferably 
one  with  front  view,  distinct  outlines,  and  printed  on 
smooth  white  paper,  suitable  for  half-tone  reproduction. 

9.  Fill  out  the  first  two  pages  of  the  Medical  Blank 
enclosed,  take  your  medical  examination  and  have  the 
physician  mail  the  completed  form  to  the  Board. 

10.  Make  out  your  list  of  testimonials,  using  the  enclosed 
blank  form,  and  having  in  mind  the  suggestions  in  the 
Manual.  Send  this  list  at  once. 

II.  Life  Sketch 

Tell  briefly  the  story  of  your  life,  covering  such  points 
as  these:  birth  (date  and  place);  parentage  and  ancestry; 
early  home  life;  educational  course;  religious  experience; 
church  membership;  religious  work;  the  habits  you  have 
formed  for  the  cultivation  of  the  spiritual  life;  missionary 
interest  and  study;  business  and  practical  experience; 
musical  ability;  facility  in  acquiring  languages;  attitude 
of  parents. 

III.  Motive  and  Message 

I.  What  motives  lead  you  to  desire  foreign  missionary 
service?  (This  should  be  answered  with  great  care  and 
entire  frankness.) 


i6 


MANUAL 


2.  What  is  your  message  to  the  non-Christian  people  to 
whom  you  may  be  sent? 

(This  question  is  of  the  utmost  importance.  You  pro¬ 
pose  to  go  to  a  foreign  land  in  order  to  transmit  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion,  if  not  by  public  address,  certainly  by  personal 
contacts.  It  is  necessary  that  you  should  have  a  clear  and 
definite  idea  of  what  this  religion  is.  Any  positive  state¬ 
ments  upon  Christian  faith  and  practice  which  you  wish 
to  make  should  be  set  forth  here,  and  will  naturally  in¬ 
clude  your  idea  of  God,  Jesus  Christ,  the  redemptive  work 
of  Christianity,  duties  to  our  fellow  men,  the  Bible,  the 
Church,  together  with  such  other  leading  truths  as  you 
would  expect  to  embody  in  your  message.  Theologically 
trained  candidates  will  naturally  answer  this  question  more 
fully  than  others,  but  in  each  case  such  condensation  is 
desired  as  may  be  consistent  with  a  satisfactory  setting 
forth  of  your  views.) 

3.  State  frankly  any  doctrinal  views  you  may  hold  which 
are  probably  not  held  by  the  majority  of  Congregation- 
alists. 

4.  What  is  your  attitude  toward  the  non-Christian 
religions? 

5.  Have  you  considered  the  deprivations,  hardships,  and 
perils  which  may  be  incident  to  this  service,  and  what  is 
your  attitude  toward  these? 


IV.  Relations  to  the  Board 

1.  Do  you  hold  any  views  of  Church  Government  which 
would  interfere  with  your  loyal  service  under  this  Board? 

2.  Are  you  willing  and  ready,  so  long  as  you  remain  in  the 
Mission,  to  recognize  in  your  missionary  asociates  the 
same  conscientiousness  in  respect  to  views  and  methods 
that  you  expect  them  to  recognize  in  yourself,  and  to  ac¬ 
cord  to  them  the  same  tolerance  you  expect  from  them;  and 
will  you  conform  loyally  to  the  decisions  of  the  Board  and 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


17 


of  the  Mission,  so  long  as  you  remain  in  the  service  of  the 
Board  ? 

3.  Do  you  assent  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the 
Board,  or  is  there  anything  in  its  organization  or  rules,  or 
in  the  organization  or  manner  of  conducting  its  missions, 
of  which  you  disapprove,  or  which  would  prevent  your 
laboring  cheerfully  and  happily  under  its  direction,  and 
in  conformity  with  its  regulations  and  those  of  the  missions? 

(Extracts  from  such  regulations  of  the  Board  as  are  of 
special  interest  to  candidates  are  printed  in  the  back  of  the 
Manual  for  Missionary  Candidates.  The  full  regula¬ 
tions  are  printed  in  a  separate  manual  of  73  pages,  entitled 
Hand  Book  j or  Missions  and  Missionaries.  Any  candidate 
who  is  unwilling  to  answer  the  above  question  in  the  af¬ 
firmative  without  a  full  knowledge  of  the  regulations, 
should  send  to  the  Board  for  the  above  hand  book. 


EXPLANATION  OF  PAPERS 

The  application  forms  contain  suitable  directions  and 
suggestions  but  it  seems  best  to  emphasize  certain  matters 
by  additional  comment  here. 

Health  Examination. — Good  health  is  so  essential 
to  successful  work  abroad  and  the  strain  upon  health  is 
so  severe  in  certain  climates,  that  the  Board  takes  the 
utmost  pains  to  ascertain  if  the  candidate  is  physically 
sound.  It  is  to  the  candidate’s  advantage  to  oo-operate 
with  the  Board  in  this  matter,  holding  back  no  information 
which  might  bear  upon  the  case,  and  objecting  to  no 
measures  which  might  be  of  physical  benefit.  When  the 
health  blank  is  received  with  the  application  form,  the 
personal  questions  should  be  answered  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  the  form  taken  to  a  physician  who  will  make  an  ex¬ 
amination  and,  after  answering  the  remaining  questions, 
report  to  the  Board.  The  Board  has  official  examiners 


i8 


MANUAL 


in  the  leading  centers  and  the  candidate  will  be  informed 
if  he  should  go  to  one  of  these.  The  candidate  may  go  to 
his  personal  or  family  doctor  in  case  the  Board  is  satisfied 
such  doctor  is  trustworthy.  The  final  decision  is  with 
the  Board’s  medical  expert  in  Boston,  to  whom  all  physi¬ 
cal  papers  are  submitted.  It  happens  not  infrequently 
that  the  candidate  is  asked  to  go  to  a  specialist  for  the 
correction  of  some  weakness,  which  has  been  revealed  by 
the  examination.  In  case  of  long  delay  after  appointment, 
the  candidate  may  be  asked  to  take  a  fresh  examination 
before  sailing. 

It  is  advisable  to  have  the  teeth  and  eyes  examined  and 
put  in  the  best  possible  condition  before  taking  the  medi¬ 
cal  examination.  The  Board  requires  vaccination  against 
smallpox  and  typhoid  fever.  The  former  should  be  at¬ 
tended  to  before  the  examination  or  by  the  examining 
doctor.  The  latter  would  better  be  done  a  few  months 
before  sailing. 

Photographs. — If  the  candidate  wishes  to  please  the 
Board,  he  will  attend  to  this  matter  promptly  and  fol¬ 
low  the  directions  given.  Old  photographs,  fancy  pic¬ 
tures,  crude  snapshots,  group  pictures,  are  not  satis¬ 
factory.  In  case  great  haste  is  required  in  making  out 
the  papers,  it  may  be  necessary  to  send  an  unsatisfactory 
picture,  but  as  soon  as  possible  a  good  picture  should  be 
secured,  having  in  mind  that  the  Board  may  wish  to  have 
a  half  tone  reproduction  made  for  use  in  its  publications. 
Hazy  photographs  of  the  impressionistic  style,  now  in 
vogue,  and  sepia  tints  are  well  nigh  worthless  for  repro¬ 
duction.  Profiles  are  less  satisfactory  than  front  or  three- 
quarter  views. 

Testimonials. — The  testimonials  are  gathered  by  the 
Board,  not  by  the  candidate.  The  candidate,  however, 
furnishes  the  list  of  names.  Entire  frankness  is  ex- 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


19 


pected  in  this  matter.  If  there  has  been  lack  of  success 
in  one’s  career,  or  lapse  of  character,  or  if  there  is  difference 
of  opinion  among  one’s  friends  as  to  fitness  for  missionary 
work,  the  Board  should  be  referred  to  the  proper  parties. 
Investigations  are  not  confined  to  the  persons  listed  in  the 
testimonial  blank,  as  often  vague  hints  and  qualifying 
remarks  need  to  be  followed  up.  The  list  should  mention 
both  men  and  women  who  have  known  the  candidate  well 
in  different  relationships.  It  should  include  the  name  of 
the  candidate’s  pastor,  several  college  and  professional 
instructors,  a  business  man,  a  woman  of  discretion  and  a 
personal  friend. 

CARE  IN  PREPARATION  OF  PAPERS 

In  the  making  out  of  papers  upon  which  depends,  in  no 
small  measure,  one’s  life  work,  it  should  not  be  necessary 
to  urge  care  in  phrasing,  spelling  and  legibility.  Yet 
candidates — men  more  than  women — are  often  strangely 
negligent  at  this  point.  The  answers  to  the  questions 
and  the  more  extended  statements  should  be  made  with 
care  as  to  form  as  well  as  to  substance,  and  the  entire 
document  should  be  re-read  before  sending  to  the  Board. 

PAPERS  OF  WIVES  AND  FIANCfiES 

A  wife  or  a  fiancee  is  expected  to  make  out  her  papers 
separately  from  her  husband  or  the  man  she  is  to  marry. 
This  is  because  the  Board  regards  her  as  a  missionary  in 
her  own  privilege  and  right.  She  receives  her  own  ap¬ 
pointment  and  becomes  a  working  and  voting  member 
of  the  Mission.  Even  though  she  may  be  occupied  largely 
in  the  care  of  her  children  and  home,  she  is  doing  missionary 
work  of  great  importance,  since  the  Christian  home  is  the 
highest  product  of  our  religion.  Usually  she  has  enjoyed 


20 


MANUAL 


special  training  like  her  husband,  and  is  anxious  to  under¬ 
take  some  special  responsibility  on  the  field.  In  any  event 
her  husband’s  case  as  a  candidate  is  largely  involved  in  her 
own.  If,  not  having  studied  doctrine,  she  wishes  to  sub¬ 
scribe  to  her  husband's  statement  of  belief,  that  is  allowed; 
but  all  other  questions  should  be  answered  in  her  own 
words. 


PAPERS  OF  SINGLE  WOMEN 

In  the  case  of  single  women  it  frequently  happens  that 
the  preliminary  correspondence  and  interviews  are  with 
the  officers  of  one  of  the  Woman's  Boards.  In  such  cases 
the  secretaries  of  the  Home  Department  enter  into  the 
process  after  it  has  been  decided  to  encourage  formal 
application.  The  steps  outlined  in  the  preceding  section 
are  those  followed  by  the  Home  Department  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Board  and  are  additional  to  any  steps  which  may  be 
necessary  on  the  part  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Woman’s 
Board  in  seeking  early  information.  Throughout  the 
process  of  preparing  the  papers  of  unmarried  women  can¬ 
didates  the  correspondence  will  be  conducted  in  close 
co-operation  with  the  Woman’s  Board. 

ACTION  BY  THE  BOARD— APPROVAL,  APPOINT¬ 
MENT  AND  DESIGNATION 

After  the  papers  of  a  candidate  have  been  presented  to 
the  Prudential  Committee,  if  he  or  she  is  judged  to  be 
qualified  for  the  work,  the  first  action  is  "Approval  of  the 
papers.”  In  the  case  of  male  candidates  and  wives  this 
is  usually  followed  immediately  by  appointment.  It  may 
happen,  however,  that  considerable  time  elapses  between 
approval  and  appointment.  Uniformly,  in  the  case  of 
candidates  of  the  Woman’s  Boards,  appointment  is  de- 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


21 


ferred  until  one  of  these  Boards  has  taken  action  looking 
to  the  adoption  of  the  applicant  and  provision  for  her 
support. 

It  should  be  understood,  also,  that  appointment  and 
designation  are  two  distinct  things.  Designation  has 
regard  to  assignment  to  a  particular  mission,  and  for  ob¬ 
vious  reasons  this  determination  cannot  always  be  reached 
at  the  time  of  the  appointment.  In  the  designation  of 
missionaries  to  particular  fields,  the  utmost  care  is  taken 
to  secure  for  each  the  position  for  which  he  is  best  fitted, 
w'here,  all  things  considered,  he  may  hope  for  the  largest 
possible  service  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  Regard  is  had  to 
the  needs  of  the  Board  at  the  particular  time,  but  also  to 
the  wishes,  convictions  and  qualifications  of  the  candidate, 
and  the  conclusion  in  a  given  case  is  reached  only  after  a 
full  and  free  conference.  The  Prudential  Committee 
never  desires  a  missionary  to  go  where  he  cannot  labor 
cheerfully,  and  in  accordance  with  his  own  sense  of  duty 
and  privilege. 

Candidates  should  understand  that  the  Prudential 
Committee  does  not  ordinarily  designate  to  a  particular 
station  or  instituiton,  but  to  a  mission.  It  is  left  to  the 
mission  to  decide  where  within  the  mission  a  newly  ap¬ 
pointed  missionary  can  work  to  the  best  advantage.  At 
the  same  time  it  often  happens  that  a  mission  has  requested 
a  worker  for  a  given  station  or  institution,  so  that  the 
Committee  has  this  particular  position  in  mind  in  reaching 
a  conclusion.  The  above  statement  applies  to  appointees 
supported  by  the  Woman’s  Boards,  as  well  as  to  those 
supported  directly  from  the  treasury  of  the  American 
Board. 

CORRESPONDENCE  AFTER  DESIGNATION 

After  missionaries  have  been  designated  to  their  field, 
correspondence  regarding  date  of  sailing,  journey  to  the 


22 


MANUAL 


field,  passports,  outfit,  etc.,  should  be  addressed  to  the 
Foreign  Department.  Correspondence  in  regard  to  the 
commissioning  service,  training  conference,  support  by 
churches,  or  engagements  to  speak  is  with  the  Home 
Department. 

TRAINING  CONFERENCE  FOR  NEW 
MISSIONARIES 

Every  year  the  Board  holds  in  the  missionary  rooms  at 
Boston  a  seven  days’  Training  Conference  for  newly  ap¬ 
pointed  missionaries  and  candidates  whose  papers  have 
been  approved.  This  conference  is  of  the  utmost  value, 
and  attendance  is  required  except  upon  an  excuse  being 
accepted  by  the  officers  of  the  Board.  The  program  covers 
matters  which  will  affect  the  missionary ’s  usefulness  in  no 
small  degree,  and  which  cannot  be  understood  except  in 
this  personal  way.  The  acquaintance  between  the  officers 
of  the  Board  and  the  new  missionaries,  brought  about  by 
the  Conference,  is  found  to  be  of  mutual  advantage  and 
pleasure.  The  spiritual  value  of  the  meetings  also  is 
marked.  Candidates  should  make  their  plans  early  with 
reference  to  being  free  for  this  Conference,  which  usually 
comes  the  last  week  in  May.  The  Board  expects  to  pay 
traveling  expenses  to  and  from  the  Conference,  except 
that,  as  a  rule,  we  do  not  so  provide  for  wives,  fiancees  and 
single  women  appointees  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

COMMISSIONING  SERVICE 

The  commission  of  the  Board  is  usually  bestowed  upon 
the  missionaries  at  a  public  service  just  before  they  sail. 
The  home  church  is  ordinarily  selected  for  this  purpose, 
but  the  wishes  of  the  missionaries  are  consulted  as  to  time 
and  place.  These  services  are  very  impressive  in  nature. 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


22> 


and  are  of  great  value  in  developing  a  missionary  spirit  in 
the  home  churches.  Commissions  are  not  given  to  those 
engaged  for  term  service,  but  only  to  life  appointees. 

In  this  connection  we  would  call  the  attention  of  candi¬ 
dates  and  appointees  to  the  rare  opportunity  they  have 
to  enlist  a  new  circle  of  friends  in  the  work  of  the  Board 
during  their  time  of  preparation.  No  opportunity  of  this 
kind  should  be  lost.  It  often  happens  that  the  appoint¬ 
ment  of  a  new  w'orker  results  in  our  securing  sufficient  new 
gifts  to  cover  his  support.  New  missionaries  have  a  great 
opportunity  also  in  the  influencing  of  others  to  volunteer. 

SALARIES 

It  is  unfortunate  that  we  have  to  use  the  word  salary 
in  connection  with  missionary  service,  since  the  stipend 
allowed  by  the  Board  is  not  to  be  considered  as  a  compen¬ 
sation  for  labor  performed,  or  as  graded  according  to  the 
value  of  the  service  rendered.  The  amount  allowed  by 
the  Prudential  Committee  is  supposed  to  express  simply 
what  is  necessary  in  the  way  of  pecuniary  support  to  the 
missionary’s  efficiency  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor.  It  is 
desired  that  the  missionary  should  be  free  from  anxiety  in 
regard  to  the  means  of  living  so  as  to  leave  heart  and  hands 
at  liberty  for  the  largest  possible  service  in  the  cause  of 
Christ.  Compensation  for  this  service  he  will  find  in  the 
consciousness  of  engaging  in  the  highest  of  all  callings  and 
in  the  abiding  presence  of  his  Lord. 

So  far  as  practicable  all  missionaries,  old  and  young, 
male  and  female,  of  all  classes,  are  placed  on  the  same 
financial  basis,  the  inequalities  of  families  and  circum¬ 
stances  being  met  by  special  allowances  in  accordance 
with  carefully  worked  out  regulations.  The  salary  varies 
with  the  cost  of  living  in  the  different  countries  and  locali¬ 
ties,  as  ascertained  by  the  missionaries  themselves.  An 


24 


MANUAL 


average  salary  for  a  married  couple  is  $i,ooo,  to  which  are 
added  allowances  for  children,  a  language  teacher,  summer 
vacation,  etc.,  according  to  the  circumstances  of  the  differ¬ 
ent  fields.  A  suitable  residence  is  always  provided  and 
the  Board  pays  the  traveling  expense  to  the  field  and 
returning.  While  on  furlough  the  missionary  receives  an 
allowance  suited  to  the  situation  in  the  home  land. 

Candidates  who  have  received  their  appointment  cannot 
begin  to  draw  upon  the  Board  for  their  traveling  expenses 
until  arrangements  for  the  journey  have  definitely  been  made. 

OUTFITS 

All  appointed  missionaries  are  entitled  to  an  outfit 
allowance  in  order  that  they  may  be  suitably  equipped  for 
beginning  work  abroad,  in  the  matter  of  clothing,  furniture, 
books,  etc.  For  a  married  couple  the  outfit  allowance  is 
$500  before  sailing,  and  $150  additional  a  year  after  arrival 
upon  the  field.  For  single  men  the  allowance  is  $300;  for 
single  women,  $250. 

Some  portion  of  the  furniture  can  ordinarily  be  procured 
in  the  country  to  which  he  is  going.  Should  it  resemble 
the  furniture  used  by  the  natives,  so  much  the  better,  if 
it  can  be  rendered  convenient,  as  that  will  make  both  him 
and  his  home  more  attractive  to  them.  Missionaries, 
however,  like  to  have  a  certain  amount  of  their  furniture 
of  the  home  kind.  It  is  wise  ordinarily  to  hold  back  some 
of  the  outfit  allowance  until  arrival  on  the  field. 

Necessary  traveling  expenses  preparatory  to  embarka¬ 
tion,  and  the  cost  of  passage,  though  paid  by  the  Board, 
are  not  included  in  the  outfit.  The  Treasurer  is  not  au¬ 
thorized  to  pay  the  freight  of  outfit  to  the  place  of  destina¬ 
tion  beyond  six  tons,  ship  measurement,  forty  cubic  feet 
to  a  ton,  for  a  married  missionary,  or  one  half  that  amount 
for  a  single  missionary. 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


25 


It  is  desirable  that  the  relatives  and  personal  friends  of 
the  candidate  should,  so  far  as  they  are  able  and  disposed, 
aid  in  furnishing  the  outfit.  Of  course  those  parents  who 
would  have  aided  their  children  with  funds  to  commence 
housekeeping,  had  they  been  married  with  a  view  to  resid¬ 
ing  in  this  country,  will  not  withhold  their  aid  because 
their  children  become  missionaries.  Missionaries  now 
are  quite  generally  supported  by  local  churches,  societies 
or  individuals.  In  such  cases  the  supporting  constituency 
should  be  encouraged  to  provide  for  the  outfit  as  well  as 
for  the  salary.  The  missionary  should  report  to  the 
Board  any  aid  he  may  receive  in  such  ways.  At  least  $50 
of  the  outfit  allowance  should  be  reserved,  to  be  expended 
after  reaching  the  mission  field. 

The  missionary's  private  library  should  be  eminently 
select.  A  large  library  is  desirable  for  but  few  mission¬ 
aries.  In  some  countries  it  is  e.xceedingly  difficult  to  pre¬ 
serve  books  from  the  ravages  of  insects.  In  uncivilized 
countries  they  will  be  exposed  to  numerous  casualties, 
and  will  often  suffer  for  want  of  the  care  it  is  impossible 
to  render.  Should  it  happen  that  necessary  books  are 
not  taken  when  the  missionary  goes  out,  they  can  be  sent 
for  and  received  by  mail  or  otherwise. 

The  Purchasing  Agent  of  the  Board  will  furnish  detailed 
information  in  regard  to  outfit,  method  of  purchasing, 
packing,  etc.,  when  designation  is  made  to  a  particular 
field.  He  will  also  assist  the  missionary  in  making  his 
purchases,  if  desired. 

DEBTS 

Many  volunteers  are  burdened  with  debts  acquired  in  the 
process  of  getting  an  education.  Unfortunately  the  Board 
is  not  in  a  position  to  lift  these  burdens.  The  rule  is  not 
to  pay  the  debts  of  those  who  receive  appointment  and 


26 


MANUAL 


usually  appointment  is  deferred  until  the  debt  can  be 
liquidated.  The  officers  of  the  Board  are  glad  to  give 
advice  and  encouragement,  but  candidates  are  expected 
to  devise  their  own  plans  for  overcoming  this  difficulty. 
They  should  be  scrupulously  careful  to  see  that  all  claims 
against  them  are  cancelled  before  they  leave  the  country. 
Candidates  should  not  expect  to  provide  for  dependent 
relatives  out  of  the  missionary  salary. 

PASSPORT 

A  passport,  obtained  from  the  Secretary  of  State  at 
Washington,  is  indispensable  to  missionaries  going  to  most 
Eastern  countries.  Missionaries  should  consult  the  For¬ 
eign  Secretary  on  this  matter  a  month  at  least  before  their 
departure.  Naturalized  Americans  should  apply  for  regis¬ 
tration  to  the  American  Consul  immediately  upon  their 
arrival  at  their  port  of  entry. 

LIFE  MEMORANDA 

Before  sailing  the  missionary  should  make  out  the  blank 
form  furnished  by  the  Home  Department,  entitled  “Life 
Memoranda.”  This  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  and 
under  no  circumstances  should  be  neglected,  as  it  supplies 
information  in  regard  to  relatives  to  be  notified  in  case  of 
sickness,  accident  or  death,  and  other  matters  which  the 
Board  desires  to  have  in  brief  and  authoritative  form  for 
ready  reference. 


READING  COURSES 

The  Board  requires  all  appointees  who  have  not  attended 
a  theological  or  mission  training  school  to  pursue  a  course 
of  reading  covering  the  Bible,  systematic  theology,  apolo- 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


27 


getics,  Church  history,  comparative  religion,  Christian 
missions,  the  history  of  the  Board,  and  books  on  the  coun¬ 
try  where  they  are  to  labor.  The  course  is  scientific,  yet 
popular;  it  can  be  covered  in  a  year  by  faithful  use  of  spare 
time.  The  better  way  is  to  begin  reading  several  years 
before  seeking  appointment.  The  candidate  is  expected 
to  report  to  the  Home  Department  as  to  the  finishing  of 
this  course.  The  list  of  books  required  will  be  sent  to 
such  candidates  as  need  them.  The  books  can  be  pur¬ 
chased  through  the  Board  at  reduced  prices. 

ECCLESIASTICAL  RELATIONS 

The  Board  is  not  an  ecclesiastical  body.  It  does  not 
undertake  to  establish  standards  of  orthodoxy  or  to  set 
men  apart  to  the  ministry.  All  such  matters  are  left  to 
the  denominations  to  which  the  missionaries  belong. 
While  the  Board  is  Congregational  in  its  controlling  con¬ 
stituency,  in  its  broader  aspects  it  is  undenominational. 
Its  purpose  abroad  is  not  to  build  up  Congregational 
churches  or  to  place  any  denominational  label  upon  its 
converts.  For  this  reason  it  has  never  required  its  mis¬ 
sionaries  to  belong  to  Congregational  churches.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  a  large  majority  of  them  are  of  this  con¬ 
nection,  but  should  a  candidate  from  some  other  religious 
body  wish  to  retain  the  church  relationship  in  which  he  or 
she  was  brought  up,  that  privilege  is  allowed.  In  the 
matter  of  ordination,  a  clerical  missionary  having  received 
official  notice  of  appointment,  should  make  arrangements 
with  the  church  or  ecclesiastical  body  with  which  he  is 
connected,  for  being  set  apart  as  a  minister.  Care  should 
be  taken  that  the  service  be  such  as  to  promote  in  the  high¬ 
est  degree  possible,  the  interests  of  the  missionary  cause. 
The  Board  is  usually  represented  in  the  ordaining  council 
of  its  missionaries,  by  one  of  its  officers  or  by  a  written 
communication. 


28 


MANUAL 


EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  BY-LAWS  OF  THE  BOARD 
COVERING  THE  APPOINTMENT  OF 
MISSIONARIES 

The  secretaries  to  whom,  at  any  time,  the  Home  De¬ 
partment  is  assigned  shall  endeavor  to  promote  a  mission¬ 
ary  spirit  at  home,  and  to  secure  from  the  churches  and  the 
friends  of  missions  the  missionaries  and  the  means  re¬ 
quired  for  the  support  and  constant  enlargement  of  the 
work  abroad,  in  order  to  a  speedy  promulgation  of  the 
Gospel  throughout  the  world.  They  shall  present  to  the 
Prudential  Committee  applications  for  appointment  to 
missionary  service,  and  such  information  as,  in  accordance 
with  the  By-Laws  and  other  instructions  of  the  Board, 
they  have  obtained  in  regard  to  the  qualifications  of  such 
applicants. 

The  secretaries  are  expected  to  use  their  best  judgment 
as  to  the  amount  of  encouragement  which  should  be  given 
to  candidates  for  appointment,  yet  each  candidate  who 
desires  to  make  application  may,  upon  request,  have  his 
papers  presented  directly  to  the  Prudential  Committee. 
All  candidates  desiring  to  have  a  personal  interview  with 
the  Committee  may  have  such  request  presented  by  the 
Home  Department. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  RULES  OF  THE  BOARD 

The  rules  of  the  Board  governing  the  conduct  of  missions 
and  setting  forth  the  relationship  of  individual  mission¬ 
aries  to  the  Board  are  found  in  the  Hand  Book  for  Missions 
and  Missionaries,  a  pamphlet  of  seventy-three  pages.  Ex¬ 
tracts  from  the  Hand  Book  are  printed  herewith  in  order 
that  the  candidates  may  understand  the  rules  which  bear 
especially  upon  the  individual  missionaries. 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


29 


It  is  understood  that  all  newly  appointed  missionaries 
cordially  accept  these  rules  and  regulations  and  will,  to 
the  best  of  their  ability,  strive  for  their  orderly  mainte¬ 
nance. 


Relations  of  Missionaries  to  the  Board 

The  missionaries  are  the  Board  in  action.  The  Board 
at  home  exists  only  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the  work 
on  the  field  to  which  the  missionaries  devote  their  lives. 
The  missionaries  err  in  speaking  of  themselves  as  “em¬ 
ployed  by  the  Board.”  The  acts  of  the  missionaries  are 
the  acts  of  the  Board,  and  so  long  as  one  bears  the  Board’s 
commission  he  cannot  separate  himself  and  his  acts  from 
the  Board’s  work.  This  view  of  the  missionary’s  life  is 
the  one  taken  not  only  by  the  Prudential  Committee  and 
the  officers  of  the  Board  but  by  those  with  whom  the  mis¬ 
sionary  comes  into  contact,  both  in  this  land  and  in  the 
mission  fields.  The  work  of  the  Board  in  the  large  is 
judged  by  the  work  and  character  and  bearing  and  spirit 
of  the  missionaries  who  represent  the  Board.  An  unworthy 
act  of  a  missionary  brings  discredit  upon  the  Board,  the 
work  it  aims  to  do,  and  to  Christ  himself,  and  so  the  entire 
body  suffers;  while  creditable  and  distinguished  service 
contributes  to  the  joy,  satisfaction  and  honor  of  all  con¬ 
nected  with  the  organization,  as  well  as  of  the  Master. 
This  applies  not  only  to  the  personal  conduct  of  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  but  to  means  and  methods  of  work. 

Knowledge  of  the  Vernacular 

The  Board  regards  the  ability  to  write,  but  especially 
to  speak  the  native  language  as  an  indispensable  quali¬ 
fication  for  missionary  service.  To  aid  in  securing  this 
the  several  missions  are  required,  through  a  competent 
committee,  to  provide  for  proper  language  instruction  and 


30 


MANUAL 


to  examine  all  new  missionaries  at  the  close  of  the  first 
and  second  years  of  service,  and  at  such  other  times  as  the 
mission  may  deem  wise,  as  to  their  knowledge  of  the  native 
tongues,  and  report  the  result  to  the  Foreign  Secretary 
of  the  Board  in  charge  of  the  correspondence  with  the 
mission.  No  exemption  from  such  examination  shall  be 
made  without  the  consent  of  the  Prudential  Committee. 

It  is  expected  that  new  missionaries  will  not  be  given  the 
right  to  vote  in  a  station  or  mission  until  they  have  passed 
examinations  satisfactory  to  the  station  and  mission,  show¬ 
ing  commendable  progress  in  the  mastery  of  the  vernacular. 
Exceptions  to  this  rule  must  be  with  the  knowledge  and 
approval  of  the  Prudential  Committee. 

Functions  of  the  Mission 

Each  mission  shall,  at  each  annual  meeting,  direct  the 
location  and  work  of  individual  members  so  as  best  to 
promote  the  work  as  a  whole.  No  new  station  shall  be 
established,  or  extended  tours  of  exploration  made,  or 
important  changes  inaugurated  or  work  undertaken,  except 
by  vote  of  the  Prudential  Committee,  on  recommendation 
of  two  thirds  of  the  mission. 

No  missionary  work  whether  literary,  educational,  in¬ 
dustrial,  medical,  or  evengelistic,  shall  be  undertaken  or 
carried  on  by  individual  members  unless  approved  by  a 
two-thirds  vote  of  the  mission.  The  work  of  translating 
and  preparing  religious  or  educational  books  should  not 
be  undertaken  by  individuals  without  the  consent  or 
direction  of  the  mission.  No  missionary  should  use  a 
printing  establishment  of  the  Board  for  private  work  or  for 
any  missionary  publications  except  under  authorization  of 
the  mission. 

It  Is  essential  that  no  line  of  work  in  a  mission  or  at  any 
station  shall  come  to  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  an  in- 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


31 


dividual  or  station  rather  than  to  the  mission.  All  work 
carried  on  by  a  missionary  of  the  Board  within  the  bound¬ 
ary  of  a  mission  is  a  part  of  the  work  of  that  mission, 
and  should  be  reported  to  the  mission  and  to  the  Board, 
and  be  subject  to  the  control  of  the  mission.  Any  ex¬ 
ception  to  this  general  rule  must  be  with  the  approval  of 
the  mission  and  of  the  Prudential  Committee,  and  also 
must  be  made  a  matter  of  record,  both  in  the  mission  and 
in  Boston. 

Individual  Reports 

In  addition  to  the  annual  reports,  each  missionary 
should  write  freely  to  the  secretaries  in  charge  of  the 
Foreign  Department  regarding  his  own  personal  work  as 
well  as  upon  more  general  questions.  It  is  only  by  fre¬ 
quent  correspondence  that  the  Board  can  keep  in  such 
relations  to  the  missionaries  and  the  mission  that  the 
largest  .service  can  be  rendered.  The  conditions,  successes, 
and  needs  of  the  work  should  be  kept  constantly  before 
the  Prudential  Committee  through  the  Foreign  Depart¬ 
ment,  and  this  can  be  accomplished  only  by  free,  frank,  and 
full  correspondence. 


Mission  Estimates 

All  individual  or  station  requests  for  grants  or  appropria¬ 
tions  must  come  to  the  Prudential  Committee  through  the 
mission,  except  upon  circumstances  of  extraordinary  need 
and  emergency.  If,  however,  a  missionary  shall  feel 
aggrieved  by  the  action  of  his  mission,  he  may  appeal  to 
the  Prudential  Committee,  a  copy  of  such  appeal  being 
given  to  the  Secretary  of  the  mission  at  the  same  time. 

Personal  Funds 

All  missionaries  are  cautioned  as  to  investing  private 
funds  in  mission  enterprises.  All  such  funds  when  so 


32 


MANUAL 


applied  must  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  the  Board  and 
the  mission  and  subject  to  the  direction  of  the  mission. 
Private  ownership  and  control  of  mission  work  and  insti- 
stutions  cannot  be  recognized  and  the  investment  in  mis¬ 
sionary  work  of  private  funds  or  of  funds  given  by  personal 
friends  cannot  be  regarded  as  conferring  any  right  of  per¬ 
sonal  control. 

In  addition,  it  is  not  expected  that  private  funds  and 
funds  privately  collected,  even  though  given  to  the  mis¬ 
sion  and  for  the  support  of  the  work,  will  be  used  except 
with  the  approval  and  under  the  direction  of  the  mission. 

Principles  Governing  Specials 

No  missionary  should  appeal  for  any  special  gift  to  a 
church  or  any  organization  in  a  church  such  as  the  Sunday 
School,  Christian  Endeavor,  Men’s  Club,  etc.  The 
churches  and  their  subsidiary  societies  are  the  exclusive 
field  of  the  Board  for  securing  general  funds.  Not  only  is 
this  course  necessary  for  the  interests  of  the  Board,  but 
pastors  and  church  treasurers,  together  with  the  Appor¬ 
tionment  Commission  of  the  National  Council,  are  insisting 
upon  it  in  order  to  protect  the  apportionment  of  the 
churches.  Under  the  Apportionment  Plan  of  Benevolence 
devised  by  the  Council  “Contributions  for  special  objects 
which  are  outside  the  regular  current  work  of  the  societies’’ 
are  not  counted  upon  the  church  apportionment.  Such 
appeals  as  may  properly  be  made  for  specials  should  be 
directed  to  individuals  and  organizations  not  directly 
connected  with  a  church. 

No  missionary  should  appeal  for  any  specific  work  of 
any  kind  or  nature  that  has  not  already  received  the  ap¬ 
proval  of  his  colleagues  in  the  station  of  which  he  is  a  mem¬ 
ber  and,  if  the  work  is  of  considerable  importance  or  in¬ 
volves  a  question  of  policy  or  commits  the  mission  in  any 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


33 


new  line  of  work,  such  appeal  should  have  the  approval  and 
endorsement  of  the  mission  and  of  the  Prudential  Com¬ 
mittee. 

Whenever  special  gifts  are  received  by  an  individual  for 
the  work  or  for  any  purpose  that  is  not  purely  personal, 
these  gifts  should  not  be  expended  except  under  the  gen¬ 
eral  approval  of  the  station  of  which  the  missionary  is  a 
member,  and  if  the  gift  is  of  considerable  importance, 
say  if  it  exceeds  $100  gold,  or  involves  a  question  of  policy, 
its  expenditure  should  have  the  approval  of  the  mission. 

These  statements  make  it  clear  that,  as  a  fundamental 
principle,  special  gifts  whether  received  by  individuals  or 
by  the  mission,  become  at  once  a  part  of  the  mission  assets 
and  should  be  so  recognized  both  by  the  Board  and  by  the 
mission.  In  other  words,  the  fact  that  a  gift  for  any 
special  line  of  work  comes  to  an  individual  does  not  give 
the  individual  final  authority  over  the  use  of  the  gift.  It 
is,  of  course,  understood  that,  if  the  gift  thus  received 
cannot  be  used  in  accordance  with  the  expressed  wish  of 
the  donor,  it  shall  be  held  until  correspondence  has  been 
had  with  the  donor  to  ascertain  if  the  conditions  cannot 
be  changed.  If,  however,  the  donor  does  not  consent  to  a 
change,  no  alternative  remains  but  to  return  the  gift. 

The  Prudential  Committee  looks  with  disapproval  upon 
the  building  up  of  a  work  in  any  mission  field  which  is  de¬ 
pendent,  in  any  large  measure,  upon  the  annual  solicita¬ 
tion  of  specials  upon  the  part  of  the  missionary  in  charge. 
The  Committee  cannot  assume  any  responsibility  for  the 
conduct  of  such  work  or  for  any  debt  which  may  thus  be 
incurred  by  the  missionary. 

All  specials  received  by  individual  missionaries  shall  be 
reported  to  the  mission,  with  statement  both  of  the  amount 
received  and  of  the  manner  in  which  the  money  is  expended. 
The  account  for  specials  shall  be  audited  in  each  mission 
and  in  the  station,  the  same  as  all  other  accounts. 


34 


MANUAL 


Personal  gifts  to  missionaries,  sent  through  the  Treas- 
surer,  from  friends  to  promote  the  comfort  and  usefulness 
of  the  missionary  himself  are  not  classified  as  special 
donations  for  the  work. 

Property  of  the  Board 

The  property  of  the  Board  should  always  be  held  in  its 
corporate  name  when  the  laws  of  the  country  allow  such 
tenure,  and  if  there  are  no  serious  disadvantages  in  so 
holding  it.  If  such  property  stands  in  the  name  of  in¬ 
dividual  missionaries,  or  others,  such  individuals  should 
at  once  file  with  the  mission  treasurer  a  deed  of  trust  show¬ 
ing  that  the  real  owner  is  the  American  Board.  The 
mission  treasurer  should  see,  on  the  removal  of  the  in¬ 
dividual  from  the  locality  or  mission,  that  the  title  is 
promptly  and  legally  transferred  to  some  resident  repre¬ 
sentative  of  the  Board  before  the  departure  of  the  title 
holder. 

Outfits 

Outfits  being  furnished  for  use  in  mission  fields  are  to  be 
regarded  as  the  property  of  the  Board,  and  in  case  of  with¬ 
drawal  of  missionaries  within  five  years  from  the  time  of 
arrival  on  the  field  all  articles  of  such  outfits  as  were  not 
for  personal  use  are  to  be  left  at  the  station  in  care  of  its 
treasurer,  who  shall  at  once  send  an  inventory  of  them  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Board  in  charge,  that  they  may  be 
placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  new  missionaries. 

All  surgical  and  medical  outfits,  in  case  of  the  retire¬ 
ment  of  the  missionary  physician  from  practice  in  the 
mission,  are  to  be  turned  over  to  the  mission  treasurer  and 
held  subject  to  direction  from  the  Prudential  Committee 
for  use  of  another  physician  or  otherwise.  An  inventory 
shall  be  made  and  sent  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Board  for 
the  information  of  the  new  physicians. 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


35 


Business  Dealings  with  Outsiders 
Unless  authorized  by  the  mission  in  cases  of  emergency 
no  missionary  shall  borrow  money  of  natives  or  foreigners 
in  mission  fields,  either  for  himself  or  for  his  missionary 
work;  the  Board  can  in  no  wise  be  held  responsible  for 
such  obligations. 

No  missionary  shall  make  commercial  investments  of 
any  kind,  in  the  country  where  he  serves,  without  the 
knowledge  and  approval  of  the  Prudential  Committee, 
nor  should  he  under  any  circumstances  make  personal 
loans  to  the  natives.  Every  missionary  should  keep  him¬ 
self  as  free  as  possible,  consistently  with  necessities  grow¬ 
ing  directly  out  of  the  missionary  work,  from  business 
relations  and  complications  with  the  people  dwelling  in 
the  country'  where  he  is  located. 

Outside  Work 

No  missionary  in  the  field  shall  engage  in  any  employ¬ 
ment  other  than  that  of  the  regular  work  of  the  mission 
without  the  approbation  of  the  mission  and  of  the  Pruden¬ 
tial  Committee.  Incaseof  work  so  approved,  all  remunera¬ 
tion  received  therefor  shall  be  paid  to  the  mission  treas¬ 
urer  for  the  Board,  unless  by  previous  arrangements  with 
the  Prudential  Committee  other  plans  are  devised.  This 
rule  is  not  intended  to  exclude  the  writing  of  occasional 
articles  for  publication  for  which  remuneration  may  be 
received. 

Life  Insurance  of  Missionaries 
It  is  desirable  for  missionaries  to  carry  life  insurance  in 
so  far  as  their  incomes  allow,  and  the  Board  stands  ready 
to  aid  them  in  maintaining  their  policies  so  long  as  it  is 
understood  that  no  legal  financial  responsibility  is  assumed. 
Policies  may  be  left  with  the  Treasurer,  who,  if  desired, 
will  pay  the  premiums  and  charge  to  the  personal  account 


36 


MANUAL 


of  the  missionaries,  on  receipt  of  proper  notice  of  pre¬ 
miums  due.  An  order  for  such  payments  should  be  left 
with  the  Treasurer  before  sailing,  or  returned  to  him  before 
the  first  premium  is  due.  The  Board  cannot  make  special 
grants  for  this  purpose  or  take  into  account  the  payment 
of  premiums  in  fixing  the  salaries  of  missionaries. 

Educational  Work 

The  educational  work  of  the  Board  is  subordinate  to 
the  evangelistic  work,  and  cannot  be  sustained  by  the  time 
and  strength  of  the  missionaries  and  the  funds  of  the  Board 
unless  it  is  clearly  auxiliary  to  the  preaching  and  teaching 
of  the  gospel,  the  preparation  of  a  Christian  native  agency 
and  the  creation  of  native  Christian  leaders.  No  schools 
of  any  grade  shall  be  established  or  carried  on  in  which 
there  are  restrictions  upon  the  presentation  of  the  gospel. 
No  grants  from  local  governments  should  be  sought  or 
accepted  if  made  with  conditions  prohibiting  or  hampering 
the  missionary  purposes  of  the  Board. 

Furloughs 

Seven  years  have  been  agreed  upon  as  a  regular  and 
uniform  term  of  service  in  the  field  for  a  missionary,  with 
the  exception  of  East  and  West  Africa,  Mindanao  and 
Micronesia,  where  the  term  of  service  is  fixed  at  five  years. 

After  the  completion  of  such  a  term  in  the  field  each 
missionary,  with  the  approval  of  his  mission,  is  entitled  to  a 
year’s  furlough  at  home,  making  generally  an  absence  from 
the  field  of  about  fourteen  months.  It  is  expected  that 
this  furlough  will  be  entered  upon  just  before  the  heated 
term  or  vacation  period  in  the  mission,  and  that  the 
missionary  will  be  back  upon  the  field  at  the  close  of  the 
heated  term  the  following  year.  It  is  expected  that  fur¬ 
loughs  will  be  spent  in  the  United  States. 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


3 


It  is  recognized  that  when  a  missionary  reaches  his  field 
at  the  close  of  the  heated  term  he  will  be  entitled  to  ask 
for  his  next  furlough  to  begin  before  the  heated  term  after 
six  years  and  nine  or  ten  months  actually  in  the  field. 
When  the  missionary  reaches  his  field  late  in  the  year,  it 
is  not  expected  that  he  will  ask  for  a  furlough  to  begin 
until  after  the  completion  of  the  full  term  in  the  field,  and 
until  the  following  heated  term,  in  many  cases  making 
some  months  over  seven  or  five  years  of  service. 

Traveling  Expenses 

When  furlough  is  granted,  the  Board  will  defray  the 
expenses  of  the  journey,  by  the  most  direct  and  economical 
route  consistent  with  health,  from  the  mission  station  to 
the  missionary’s  home.  These  expenses  include  freight 
on  personal  effects  as  above  indicated.  All  other  freight, 
also  duties  on  curiosities,  etc.,  must  be  paid  by  the  mis¬ 
sionary.  Expenses  of  delays  on  the  way,  unless  absolutely 
required  by  health  or  otherwise  unavoidable,  are  not  to 
be  charged  to  the  Board.  Salaries  of  missionaries  cease 
on  leaving  their  station.  They  will  receive  funds  from 
the  station  and  mission  treasurers  for  the  expenses  of  the 
journey,  such  funds  to  be  charged  to  the  Treasurer  of  the 
Board  and  at  once  reported  to  him,  to  be  accounted  for  by 
the  missionary  on  arrival  home.  Missionaries  leaving 
the  mission  should  always  bring  a  certified  statement  of 
their  account  from  the  mission  or  station  treasurer  as 
settled  up  to  the  time  of  their  departure,  or  a  draft  on  the 
Treasurer  at  Boston  for  the  balance  due  the  missionary, 
so  that  their  accounts  with  the  mission  may  be  closed. 
Natives  of  the  country  must  not  be  brought  home  by  the 
missionaries  at  the  expense  of  the  Board,  except  in  case 
of  sickness  when  special  attendance  is  pronounced  neces¬ 
sary  by  the  attending  physician. 


38 


MANUAL 


Whenever  a  missionary  comes  home  with  no  reasonable 
probability  that  he  will  return  to  the  field,  arrangements 
should  be  made  at  once  with  reference  to  severing  official 
relations  with  the  Board.  This  step  aids  materially  in 
making  arrangements  for  supplying  the  vacancy  in  the 
mission,  and  for  caring  for  the  work. 

If  the  missionary  prolongs  for  any  reason  his  stay  at 
home  after  the  expiration  of  the  furlough  period,  it  must 
be  done  with  the  consent  of  the  Prudential  Committee. 

Accounts  of  traveling  expenses  to  the  missions  should 
be  kept,  and  on  arrival  at  destination  rendered  by  the 
missionary  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board  (not  to  the 
mission  treasurer),  and  the  balance  not  needed  for  the 
journey  should  be  placed  at  credit  of  the  Board  with  the 
mission  or  station  treasurer,  whose  receipt  for  same  should 
accompany  the  account  to  Boston.  Expenses  of  “sight¬ 
seeing,”  and  of  delays  for  such  a  purpose,  are  at  private 
charges.  The  most  direct  route  should  be  taken,  unless 
health  or  economy  require  otherwise. 

Return  of  Missionary  after  Furlough 
Prior  to  the  authorization  by  the  Prudential  Committee 
of  the  return  of  any  missionary  to  his  or  her  field  after  a 
furlough,  the  question  of  such  return  shall  be  acted  upon 
by  the  mission  and  the  result  forwarded  to  the  Foreign 
Secretary.  This  vote  shall  ordinarily  be  taken  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  mission  which  follows  the  beginning 
of  such  furlough.  However,  by  unanimous  consent,  the 
mission  may  take  this  action  at  a  meeting  previous  to  the 
departure,  the  missionary  in  question  retiring  while  the 
subject  is  under  deliberation  and  when  the  vote  is  taken. 

Dismission  or  Recall  of  Missionaries 
Whenever  any  missionary  has,  in  the  judgment  of  the 
Prudential  Committee,  violated  the  instructions  giv'en 


FOR  MISSIONARY  CANDIDATES 


39 


him,  whether  before  or  after  entering  the  field  of  his  mis¬ 
sionary  labors,  or  has  failed  to  perform  any  duty  reasonably 
required  of  him,  the  Committee  are  authorized  to  dis¬ 
miss  him,  in  case  they  deem  it  expedient,  from  the  service 
of  the  Board.  In  all  cases,  however,  where  the  missionary 
has  actually  been  named  in  any  of  the  official  publications 
of  the  Board  as  having  been  received  under  its  patronage 
and  direction,  the  individual  so  dismissed  shall  have  the 
privilege  of  submitting  his  case  to  the  revision  of  the  Board 
at  an  annual  meeting. 

In  order  to  secure  the  harmony  and  efficiency  of  action 
essential  among  the  missionaries  at  the  several  missionary' 
stations,  whenever  the  Prudential  Committee  shall  become 
satisfied  that  an  individual  missionary,  for  any  cause, 
is  unable  to  work  in  harmony  with  his  brethren,  or  to  exert 
such  influence  as  is  deemed  truly  promotive  of  the  cause 
of  Christ  or  as  warrants  his  continuance  in  that  field,  the 
Committee  may  recall  such  missionary,  and  terminate  his 
relations  w'ith  the  Board. 

Whenever,  before  the  time  of  sailing,  the  Prudential 
Committee  is  convinced  the  appointment  of  a  new  mis¬ 
sionary  was  a  mistake,  because  of  new  evidence  or  for  any 
other  reason  satisfactory  to  the  Committee,  the  right  is 
reserved  to  recall  or  cancel  the  appointment. 

Disabled  Missionaries 

No  pensions  are  provided  under  any  circumstances; 
but  if  missionaries,  when  aged  and  infirm,  remain  in  the 
field,  with  the  Board’s  consent,  an  allowance  may  be  given 
them  as  retired  missionaries. 

Should  they  for  cause  return  to  the  United  States,  with 
the  consent  of  the  Board,  suitable  provision  shall  be  made 
for  them. 

It  is  understood  that  missionaries  after  long  service  with 
the  Board  may,  on  account  of  advancing  years  or  the 


40 


MANUAL 


infirmities  of  age,  retire  from  active  service,  with  the  un¬ 
derstanding  that,  if  necessary,  the  Board  will  make  pro¬ 
vision  for  their  support. 

Transfer  to  United  States 

The  Board  will  pay  the  expenses  of  the  journey  of  the 
children  of  missionaries  to  the  United  States,  whose  com¬ 
ing,  for  education  or  health,  on  an  application  of  their 
parents,  has  been  authorized;  but  it  does  not  engage  to 
pay  the  expenses  of  their  return  to  the  mission  after  the 
age  of  twelve  years.  Children  of  missionaries  are  not 
ordinarily  expected  to  be  sent  to  this  country  under  the 
age  of  twelve. 


Education  Abroad 

A  grant  may  be  made  for  the  education  of  missionaries’ 
children  in  foreign  countries  in  schools  and  under  condi¬ 
tions  approved  by  the  Prudential  Committee. 

Homes  for  Missionaries'  Children 

By  the  kindness  of  friends,  homes  have  been  established 
for  such  missionary  children  as  cannot  be  placed  with 
relatives  or  others — one  at  Auburndale,  Mass.,  one  at 
Oberlin,  Ohio,  and  one  at  Claremont,  Cal.  These  are 
held  and  controlled  by  trustees,  not  by  the  Board,  except 
in  the  case  of  Auburndale.  Children  received  are  expected 
to  pay  for  their  board  and  clothing  at  cost  price,  and  will 
receive  the  best  of  Christian  care  and  nurture.  Parents 
or  guardians  will  have  the  entire  charge  and  responsibility 
of  the  finances  of  their  children,  in  correspondence  with 
the  trustees  of  the  homes. 


